Advanced Process Control (APC) has been used extensively to
assist in operating refinery and petrochemical processes safely and
profitably. However, with the constantly increasing fuel and environmental costs, and the related
pressures to squeeze more efficiency from existing facilities, APC applications are
being applied into energy systems, too. The control of distillation columns, fired heaters,
large turbogenerators and complex heat-exchange schemes are all
subject to a tighter control system that maintains stable
operation and sustains high-energy efficiency for the process
or a piece of equipment while striking an optimum between yield
and energy performance.

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